"What? Me- shake my booty?? "

 (My Adventure with Zumba!)

I seem to have a re-occurring theme of getting out of my comfort zone lately.  My most recent example is from this past Sunday.  Along with 100 plus people, I participated in a Zumba fundraiser for an instructor who is battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma.   So how was this getting out of my comfort zone?  That was my very first time trying Zumba!  Plus... I am not a natural dancer.  I do like to move to the beat and have pretty good rhythm (stemming from my music background); however, give me kickboxing any day instead! 

I had a LOT of fun though and it was a really great exercise!  I was there for two hours but took a few breaks in between so I think I exercised for an hour total.  This was a HUGE milestone for me as currently all I do for exercise is ride my exercise bike at home 3 times as week.  I don't even break a sweat with that! 

It's funny looking back at my journey.  I remember when my kids were really young- I started a great program called "Stroller Strides" when my youngest was just six WEEKS old... it was a harder work out than the title leads you to believe.  It was like boot camp for new moms.  I remember making a comment to a fellow mom that went something like this: " If I had to choose I would much rather just exercise over eat super healthy."  She agreed with me as did most of the moms there.  Exercise was something we really enjoyed and it seemed like a lot of hard work at the time to eat healthy when all we cared about was getting our kids to eat anything at all, and a good day would be going to the bathroom in peace! 

Today, I have found that I really enjoy eating healthy because I have found what foods work best for me, and I eat simple healthy meals that also taste GOOD!  Yet, since being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, my exercise had fallen by the way-side.  Now that I am feeling so much better, I am slowly getting reacquainted with my old friend.  I am finding I don't have to do the same things I used to do, such as sprinting on the tread mill and lifting weights.  I am finding other forms of exercise that I really enjoy even if I may be making a fool out of myself in the process! lol 

What form of exercise do YOU enjoy the most?  Is there a type of exercise you have always wanted to try but haven't had the courage to go for it yet? 

p.s.- if you live in the Phoenix area, check out Bambi's Fitness Studio ( www.bambisfitness.com)  She has GREAT  deals on Zumba classes and child care! (only 50 cents per child!) 

Healthy Snacks Workshop!

We had a lot of fun on Saturday-- I had 9 kids at my house (with their parents) and we did a lot of learning and sampling tasty, healthy treats. First, we played a game called "Traffic Light Eating" where we learned about Green Foods, Yellow Foods and Red Foods. Green foods would be those that are fine to eat as much as you want of, such as broccoli and kale. Yellow foods means foods you can eat every day but you need to slow down with- they are foods that are not normally in their whole state such as pasta and applesauce. Red foods are foods that make you stop and think  if you really need this right now- such as ice cream or cookies. I made sure and told the kids it is fine to have those treats once in awhile but as nutrition detectives we can learn to make better choices. Choices that give us energy and "super powers". :)

We also sampled a "green smoothie" which the kids LOVED.... .they asked for seconds and thirds! It didn't matter to them that it contained spinach! Moms, this is a great way to get your kids to eat extra veggies... and for you, moms as well!  Most people aren't eating raw spinach and kale every day.  For a video of my daughter and I making a green smoothie, check out this video.

We also made kale chips, raw chocolate bars and granola energy bites. Stay tuned for the next workshop!

I think I have blogophobia. If there is not such a word, I will create it.  I realized I have not written a blog post since last year. Granted, I have been busy with other things, such as finishing up my nutrition school, leading workshops and writing my monthly newsletters.

So, here I am and this is what brings me to my first post (again) which should be titled

"Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone"

In what ways have you really stretched yourself lately? Is there anything you have always been wanting to do but are just too afraid to try it?  Growing up, I've had many fears.  I was painfully shy, so talking with strangers was not high on my list (unlike my super social albe daughter).  I also had a fear of heights. I remember once in college, my boyfriend at the time convinced me to climb the nearest mountain. I don't even think it was that high, but I panicked when we got close to the top. I literally froze and could not look down. I'm sure he thought I was nuts.  But he patiently took my hand and led me back down the mountain while I secretly beat myself up for being so afraid. I was also afraid of "the ball".  Any kind of ball- basketball, volleyball, baseball, you name it. It may have stemmed from when I got slammed in the head with a softball when I was in first grade.  At least I can use that as an excuse for why I tend to forget things- LOL.  As a result, I never really enjoyed participating in sports.  

There was one fear, however, that I faced f rom time to time. It is  supposedly the one thing that people fear greater than death.  That is, of pubic speaking. I felt the fear and did it anyway. 

The most recent examples of that have been my public workshops on sugar.  I was SO nervous.... yet, I came home with a little bit of a high- I really enjoyed it! 

There may be things in your life that you are passionate about. Public speaking and sharing health and wellness tips may not be high in your list; but what about writing a book? Or helping the homeless? What about singing in a choir or playing in a band? 

If there is anything that is holding you back, learn to talk back to that voice.  That voice is full of doubt, guilt or shame. It is what keeps you from really enjoying life.  Know that each minor decision we make every day affects our future. If we stay paralyzed and stuck because of our inner doubts, we may end up looking back at life with regrets. 

Since I've become a health coach, I have stretched myself in so many ways , and I still have a long way to go, but I am ready for the adventure! 

Are You?